Embracing new colour schemes in my home

Since moving in with my man, I have been getting used to a new interior style and going with the  existing look of the home, which is amazing and suits the unusual property and its layout. I have been adding my own bits and pieces that complement the look. OH used to paint in a particular style in rich earthy colours, primitive naive art style cows and sheep, oils and textures, a time gone by, it's what he loves. I've come along with my interest in autumn, Halloween, folklore, the macabre, churches and graveyards and so there is now a merging of two lives. I've embraced the rural scenes and added my corn dollies, vintage doll and wooden rabbit. I guess lots of our interests cross over and we are endeavouring to create a real eclectic mix of found items. We've added mini skeletons and things we have recently bought in odd bits and bobs boxes at the local auction...more on this another time. 

OH is extremely creative and also used to be an antiques dealer so has the gift of being able to sift out unusual things and create all kinds of things, such as the dioramas of the bakery and the butchers in the images. I think the colours blend really well together and all have a traditional feel, deep blues, greys, browns and hunter greens, an autumnal ochre vibe and shots of mustard. The shade below was a recent eBay find and I love its slightly sinister feel. OH bought me the soft lime coloured pineapple jug from the local florist that I've popped some seed heads into once I've collected the seed for next year and some faux berries. Also some bargain green pressed glass bottles for 50p each from the florist, a religious icon from a random auction box for some kitsch style, some silver plated ware with owl fairy lights trailed across a toast rack and a funny faced mint sauce pot.

The main colour used within the home is probably green, at least I seem to be drawn to this the most at the moment, forest greens, sages, mossy shades, with ferns and trailing houseplants, jade and emerald bottles for using as single flower stem vases,
What does the colour we tend to use within our homes tend to say about us? Well..... https://www.juliancharles.co.uk/ produced a guide to what your home colours say abut your personality and according to that I am a very patient an collecting person as it is a calming colour. Also it says I don't stick to trends and I probably have a house full of knick-knacks and mismatching furniture......how true!!!

In contrast, at my old house I was definitely more pink - approachable and making the home accordingly so apparently. Pink also indicates somebody reserved and shy which is true of me.

There is much less pink going on in this house, the colours instead are earthy and spicy, exposed brickwork with vintage gilt frames and wooden shelves. However, my blogging room has pink in it but I am becoming more natural, antique loving and rustic, with a bit of Victoriana and distressed furniture, so I can foresee it changing pretty soon. The colours fit well with my love of weird and I feel like I have a lot of scope for creating new areas within the house.

* collaborative post

November living space layering

So here we go, full on cosy comfort month although it actually still feels quite warm outside and I'm not as yet getting the hats and scarves out or really lighting a fire in the woodburner. There was a light frost the other morning, enough to have me excited about photographing crystallised flowers and crisp tufts of grass but I blinked and the sun appeared and it was gone. I want cold.

In preparation though, as I know it will soon descend as soon as Little Bird is back in school, I will be embarking on a full on home redecorate and restyle for it's all gone a bit bland, I've tamed down my arty urges and shudder at this, gone a bit woody and beige. So expect to see some new room styling on here and lots of decluttering only to be replaced by new clutter and lots of fresh paint.

The front room need a total start over project, it's the room that greets guests and has a lot of playing going on from my son, everything is starting to look shabby and in need of some love. I've been considering a new sofa and have had a look at the range from Fishpools, particularly a corner sofa to make the best use of the space and divide the room into walk through and place of cosy retreat, especially through the winter.

Around they key item of a sofa, it's the dressing and layering that I love. New cushions and throws, rugs for keeping toes warm, mirrors to add light and new dimension and different types of warm glow from table and floor lamps. I love deep colours such as the blue rug and throw and the stag mirror adds that autumn and winter feel. The snow globe cushion adds some whimsy, it's just too cute to resist. The overall colour scheme are probably darker and deeper than my normal choice but I'm just really fancying change, a new space to fulfil all the November days. I'll be reusing my wonderful circus star lamp, one of my favourite items in my house for it adds just the right amount of light for a relaxing evening.

Blue rug, iRugs
Snow globe cushion, Asda
Blue blanket, H&M
Table lamp, Ikea
Blackberry window box, Next
Antler Mirror, M&S
Blue hanging heart, Dunelm
Jar Candle, Matalan
Star light, my own

*Collaborative post

The Psychology of Colour in your home

What is your favourite colour in the home? I love dusky pink or grey and yellow is a colour I love to accent with, bright yellow cushions and fluffy throws on the sofa. Yellow makes me feel cheerful, a happy colour and one that lifts a darker space. This weekend I came across a bright yellow front door on a pretty house and I thought to myself, what a great colour to invite people in with or simply make passers-by smile. According to the below interesting infographic from Thomas Sanderson on the psychology of colour, the colour yellow in a home is great as it helps release serotonin, a great colour for social spaces in the house such as a dining room. The guide shows how colour in the home can influence mood and the psychology behind it.

I like to use a lot of colour in my home, I mainly have white walls but then accessorise and furnish with heaps of colour. I have white walls and a painted white floor in the family room, with a relatively new purple sofa that really stands out. Apparently purple is an appropriate colour for relaxation so I planned that perfectly! The rest of the house has a lot of vibrant red and cools blues, a real rainbow all the way through but not too much, just a painted chair or an eye-catching accessory. I'd like to buy a new bookshelf and arrange books by colours - maybe not practical for finding books but it would look very pretty against a white wall. Have a look at the infographic for some insight into colours in your home. 
*Collaborative post

Quick fixes to spruce up the summer home

In the summer I go through the house and make a few updates here and there, nothing expensive as I'm on a budget. Perhaps switching a few things over, swapping items from my bits and bobs cupboard where I will find summery candles or pictures that I can use to brighten the rooms up. Now the sun is shining, I'll wash all the soft furnishings and line dry then to freshen up and each room will perhaps have a few investment pieces for summer colour and the latest trends.

Bedroom
My main relaxation area, my bedroom, must have some new summery bedding. I'll look for something colourful and cheery, perhaps spots or a floral pattern that will fit in with the existing scheme. I keep the walls plain so this helps being able to change room slightly each season. I'll pop a few new candles in the room, coconut is a favourite summer scent and anything fresh and fruity. Sometime I'll buy the small votive candles or scented tea lights as I can buy lots for not a lot of money and switch them over frequently. Use citrus candles to keep the bugs away.

Image source: George at Asda

Family Room 
The family room is where we eat,play,relax and study. The sofa has been recently updated so I will add new cushions and the woodburner whilst it is out of service, even though it's been chilly, will have a new spray of paint. New storage is always helpful and pretty boxes to add paperwork or bits and pieces into. I need a new desk chair so I'll have a look at office furniture suppliers for something ergonomic and colourful that I can swirl about on and do my work.

Bathroom
The bathroom actually needs some work after a leak ruined the flooring so I'l be ordering some new lino, hopefully a shiny white one that will bring light into the bathroom. New hand towels and bath sheets however, will add some colour and I have my eye on some bright pink Egyptian cotton towels for a feminine touch. I might contrast these with turquoise for a holiday feel. On the sink I'll pop a pretty bottle of hand wash and some hand lotion, particularly if I'm having friends over to stay. When I do my weekly supermarket shop, I'll try a different shower gel too, scents that remind me of the sea and salty air.

The colour combinations I like for the bathroom could also have a pop of yellow, probably my favourite colour and even an orange would work against the light grey tiles.

Design Seeds - http://kitsdesomni.typepad.com/kits_de_somni/2014/04/el-color-de-abril-2014.html

Kitchen
In the kitchen at the time of year it starts to become full of produce from my allotment. Tubs of soft fruits such as raspberries and currants, also beans, potatoes and lettuce. So much fresh fruit and veg to make exciting summer dishes with that I like the kitchen feeling updated with a few items since I will be spending more time in there. On the open shelves, a stack of colourful crockery adds a colourful dash and some pretty new plates to serve my food on.

Coloured and pressed glass tumblers are very summery, I have seen some with a little bee motif pressed into them that would be great to go into my kitchen shelf units. The shelves are set against a white backdrop so the coloured glass will really stand out. I might also gather some sweetpea flowers from the allotment and bring the intoxicating scent of them into the kitchen.

http://keltainentalorannalla.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/vari-ideoita-maanantaille.html?m=1

Living room
Easiest addition the smarten the living room up is a new set of cushions which I'll pick up from the home ware section of a supermarket or from the high street. £5 a cushion, a bright and colourful pattern of animal and that will make the sofa look great for summer lounging. I have found some bumblebee cushions that will be perfect and add a yellow throw for cooler summer evenings or rainy day film watching - it was quite chilly the other day considering it was June.
Finally, a new set of fairy lights to twinkle away and I'll rearrange the books on the mantelpiece to be around summer nature and day tripping around the UK. Some flowers too, maybe a rose from the garden into a bud vase and I shall feel like the house feels a bit more cheerful for over the summer months. 

*Collaborative post

Just lots of pretty fireworks

Have a great Bonfire Night! 

Hallowtide garden

 November arrived, a cold bite in the air so that my morning mooch in the garden was not accompanied by my scamp of a terrier who opted to keep his paws warm by the wood burner instead. The Hallowtide garden, the morning after Hallowe'en, decay and death, remembrance and a faded glory or spent Jack o'lanterns, carpets of leaves and the muted purples of the hydrangea.  Sunlight slowly warming hit the crimson leaves and pink hues of the sedum who have stretched like zombies arms reaching frantically across the pathway. A job to tidy up and reign the whole garden in for winter splendour but I'll allow myself the whole of November and December to do this. It can stay as a witches garden for the time being.

Bargain daffodil bulbs have been planted, tulips still required. Autumn bedding plants, yellow chrysanthemums, are in the zinc wall planters with nasturtium still hanging on - one even flowered this week, they are such troopers.
 On the small trees in the garden I need to hang some bird feeders, with small birds turning up daily my heart sinks when I keep remembering that I need to pop to the budget shop and get some suet balls or pellets for them.  Next door's rowan tree has now lost all its leaves and all that remain are some red berries, that the blackbirds love, but there are not many left. Don't worry feathered little lovelies, food is on its way.... Finally as I turn back to the house ready for a cup of tea, I see a solitary pink rose in bloom and one in bud. A last brush of summer to bottle up in my memories. 

How Does Your Garden Grow? over at Mammasaurus, for more gardens and autumn love.

Little coastal cottage

 Coastal cottage charm - turquoise painted wooden chairs and a spotty oil cloth tablecloth with a welcoming lemon drizzle cake. Fun artwork of dogs on their seaside holiday and vintage lolly signs.   Lots of lovely seaside details like the whale chalkboard and fish decorations, cool look grey wood panelling as splashbacks and a cosy feel in the living space. Vintage granny blankets for cosying with a book and bookshelves filled with holiday reading material.   Fishy prints in the book nook and nautical details like a ship in a bottle and lighthouses - trinkets you can find in holiday gift shops and charity shops. Blue and turquoise are the main colour theme throughout the cottage, blue patterned curtains and sea blue accents in the bedrooms. 
 I love a coastal cottage as they give so much inspiration and whilst on holiday I picked up some new home items to take the theme home, a bargain wooden seagull was my best buy from the tourist information shop. Hurricane lanterns for the salty nights with a tea light flickering. Finally, not coastal but I love the bright, cheerful bird mugs that I've seen for sale in a garden centre. They looked great on the dresser in the cottage and given that the garden was full of birds everyday, it was a nice touch to this cosy place we stayed.

Creating a fun home school room

Since home educating my son I have turned the downstairs room which would have been just a dining room into our play room/learning room. It's not a massive room but is open plan to the staircase and hence feels larger than it actually is. Last year it had a bit of a revamp and I repainted the walls and decided to paint the wooden floor white which for a dark back room has made it so much brighter. Combined with pastel colours it has lifted the space and now we have a blank canvas to making it our perfect learning area for years to come.

 I have plenty more ideas now to make it a fun room for learning in and here are some of them:

Quirky book shelves
We have lots of books and have a couple of creative ways to store them so they are easily accessible to my son and to me as the one teaching him. Some are on an old church pew that I found in a junk shop and have painted up in powder blue. Our seasonal and topical books are in Ikea spice racks on the wall, such a cheap hack and I think it makes a nice display too. It's great having out books to hand, although this is just a small section of them and I rotate them frequently depending upon what we are learning about.

Book caddies are useful too and I particularly love this smiley heart one made by Joni at Lay Baby Lay, very cute and great instead of having a pile of books just lying around. 

Joni at Lay Baby Lay

Notice boards and displays
Whether it's for pinning our paintings to, posting reminders of our activities or making a pretty display for the season, an area of the room for a board is essential for a home education space. As a bright and colourful feature for a room, rainbow boards from Teacher Boards are a practical solution - from felt notice boards to dry wipe boards in an array of colours. Super cheerful and in lots of sizes for any room. They come complete with the fixing kit and there are useful combination boards of felt and dry wipe available too.

Rainbow Boards from Teacher Boards

Clever Storage 
When home educating you amass a lot of items - toys, learning activities, puzzles, arts and crafts items and well...it can all get a little messy. Organisation is key and as I've found, I need to know where things are so that I can seize the opportunity and we can learn about letters or numbers or animals and it doesn't take me long to locate what we need. Coloured baskets, plastic tubs and patterned boxes to put our small play bits and pieces into on open shelves can look fun, organised and accessible. Labelling them up yourselves can be a little project for the children to customise themselves.

The Moffatt Girls

Decoration
Wall art to inspire us and learn at the same time such as maps or art such as this dinosaur picture fro Etsy brightens to the room and makes it a cheery, child friendly space. Storage can look decorative too - coloured maths counters in jars and door pockets of coloured crayons for instance. Educational charts can be picked up inexpensively and hence changed as our subjects change, we have one on shapes and numbers and animals of the world. It's your space to tailor for your child and their unique way of learning hence why animals being a huge topic for us are often to be found on our wall art.

Dinosaur print Etsy

Cosy nook
The next project I'd like to do is create a nook for reading and quiet play and learning. Maybe a fabric wigwam or a section of the room with a fluffy rug and fairy lights as a chill out sensory area with lots of cushions and a basket of calming items or a nature box to explore. 

Cup of Jo

For more playroom ideas, look here:


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